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Operation: To kill a mocking bird
Operation: To kill a mocking bird, was an emergency operation conducted by the Independent States Allied Forces to destroy the Hindenberg-class Air Assault Carrier. This operation took place during the Great War. Prelude Three days after the ISAF launched operation Free Anea, Kosovik forces at North and South Anea were thrown into complete disarray. Caught off guard by the ISAFs sudden offensive the Kosoviks were driven back from their frontier positions. In an attempt to push back ISAF forces in North Anea, Kosovik command authorized the deployment of one of the Kosovik's superweapons: the Hindenberg-class Air Assault Carrier. Its objective was to destroy one of the ISAFs major industrial center: the city of Terra in North Anea. By doing so, Kosovik command hoped to cripple the ISAFs capability to produce arms. The Hindenberg was one of the five superweapons produced by the Kosoviks 'Project Pentagon'. Before reaching Terra the Hindenberg bombed ISAF troops in the front line who were pushing south towards Kosovik occupied territories. ISAF elements who survived the bombings relayed information back to ISAF command, notifying them of the impending attack. The response however was too late as the Hindenberg had already reached Terra and had begun its first bombing run, destroying a significant number of infrastructure in the city. Despite of the early warning the ISAF Air Force fighters stationed in the city were unable to stop the Hindenberg and most of the local Air Force fighters were shot down by the Hindenbergs escort fighters. The ISAF Air Force then assembed a major counter-strike force to destroy Hindenberg. Government and military officials at Terra ordered an immediate evacuation of the city and to save as much material as they could while evacuating. The Hindenbergs bombing strategy was based on a scorched-Earth method, dropping bombings indiscriminately down towards Terra, regardless whether the targets were of civilian or of military importance. Summary Scrambling a counterstrike It took the ISAF 1 hour to organize the counter-strike force. Fortunately a large group of AC-130 Gunships and B-52 Stratofortress bombers equipped with prototype Harpoon cruise missiles were in the vicinity of Terra. They had other objectives but their orders were superceded by the recall order to Terra. Fighters were scrambled from nearby Air Force bases. Within 15 minutes the ISAF counter-strike force were on their way towards Terra. However by the time the counter-strike element arrived the Hindenberg had already completed its objective. Terra had been razed to the ground with most of its infrastructure either completely destroyed or crippled beyond repair and the Hindenberg was already retreating back to Kosovik air space by the Schynee Plains just south of Terra. Dogfight Both sides detected one and another through radar and a major dogfight ensued between the Air Forces of both the ISAF and the Kosovik Union. AC-130 Gunships conducted straffing runs from high altitude against the Hindenberg, firing all of their ordnance towards the Assault Carrier. Stratofortress bombers launched their Harpoon cruise missiles inflicting major damage to the Hindenberg. AA batteries and SAM platforms that were sent to intercept the Hindenberg from the ground were useless against the Hindenberg with most of them (save for 1 AA battery that survived) being destroyed by Kosovik attack aircrafts that were defending the Hindenberg. They were however able to shoot down several of the Hindenberg's escort fighters. Killing the mocking bird Twenty minutes into the engagement the Hindenberg was dangerously close to Kosovik controlled air space, which meant that Kosovik SAM and AA installations would be able to target the ISAF fighters and gunships. By now a significant number of ISAF fighters had been shot down, most of them were shot down due to the relentless barage of AA fire coming from the Hindenberg. Nearly half of the gunships and bombers had been shot down by the Hindenberg's dwindling fighter escorts. A final salvo of Harpoons from the surviving bombers and a barrage of 120mm cannons from the last several gunships finally crippled the Hindenberg beyond repair, resulting in the Hindenberg being shot down. The few surviving fighters that escorted the Hindenberg were allowed to escape. Result The destruction of the city of Terra was catastrophic which dealt a major blow to the ISAFs ability to manufacture war-related materials. However with the destruction of the Hindenberg the Kosovik's had lost their ability to maintain air superiority above the Anean continents. The ISAF also resumed its advance to liberate all of Anea as well.